


MEADE 


\ oil'll. 


itiWlh ilrtlt 




* 4 *9 





$ 





8fl&1 

!ii 



fj 

Jj 


a 



m 


*» 

‘ 


Rial 















































































































































































































































































































































































































































iso 





} 









i 


I 


/ 



TWINKLE TOES LIKED TO GATHER HIS ANIMAL 
FRIENDS ABOUT HIM 












































r 



■ ■ 



By Laura Rountree Smith 

Pictures by F. R. Morgan 


» > , 
> » 

) n 
> j 


y^HITMA>rTuBLISHING Co. 


RACINE, WISCONSIN 














































COPYRIGHT 1919 BY 

ITM AIVT TPu B LI S HIN G 

RACINE. WISCONSIN 


MAR - I 1920 


©Cl A563896 


Table of Contents 


I In the Hollow Tree . 9 

II Earning Money. 25 

III U ncle Mouser’s Story.39 

IV A Visit to Old Shadow.49 

X Naming the Flag. .06 








List of Illustrations 


Twinkle Toes Liked to Gather IIis Animal Friends 

About Him.Frontispiece 

He Gave Each of the Three Little Kittens a New 

Traveling Bag.14 

Chip, Cpiip, Chip, Come Into Our Tree.15 

The Three Little Chairs in Which They Sat Turn¬ 
ed Round .19 

Twinkle Toes was Dreaming About a Pair of Magic 

Mittens . 27 

Twinkle Toes Worked Three Times as Fast Clear¬ 
ing Paths ..‘11 

Once Upon a Time the Old Man of the Fire Said to 

the King.42 

Put the Dishes in Neat Pii.es Upon the Table .47 

It Grew Darker and Darker in Old Shadow’s Rltrrow.50 

All the Animals Were Marching, Right Foot, Left 

Foot.55 

They Were Making a Flag.62 

They Dreamed They Were Sailing Away.63 














Twinkle Toes and His 
Magic Mittens 


CHAPTER I. 

IN THE HOLLOW TREE 

r I 'WINKLE Toes lived with Uncle Mouser 
in a little wee house in the woods, 
and as he ran in and out in the twink¬ 
ling of an eye, every one called him 
Twinkle Toes. 

He liked to travel about and to meet 
his friends, so on his second birthday. 
Uncle Mouser gave him a fine new travel¬ 
ling bag, with his initials upon it. 

Twinkle Toes, like Uncle Mouser was 
quite a story-teller. He liked to run about 
in the woods at twilight and gather his 
animal friends about him, and tell stories. 


( 9 ) 



Most of all, however, he liked to travel 
through the woods with his new travelling 
hag. 

One evening he started out through the 
woods and ran on until he came to the 

home of the THREE LITTLE KITTENS 
WHO LOST THEIR MITTENS. 

He rapped on the door, rap- a- tap- 
rap- a- tap.” 

The Three Little Kittens were at home, 
and they cried in turn, “May I go? Ma, 
may I go?” 

Old Mother Kit-Cat opened the door 
herself, and in waltzed Twinkle Toes with 
his travelling bag. 

They made him welcome you may be 
sure, and Dot and Tot and Trot cried, 


( 10 ) 





“You’re a story-teller, we suppose, 

Do tell us a story, Twinkle Toes.” 

Tlieu Twinkle Toes jumped right over 
the travelling hag, with the letters “T-T” 
upon it, and said, 

“To have a story you are hound, 

We ll see if any can be found!” 

He opened his travelling hag, and took 
out another travelling bag, a little smaller. 
He opened the second hag and took out 
another, and another. 

He gave eacli of the Three Little Kit¬ 
tens a new travelling bag. 

Each hag had the Kitten’s initials upon 

it. 

The Three Little Kittens were happy 
you may be sure, and marched round and 





« TWINKLE TOES 




round the room with their new travelling 
hags. 

They hegged for a story again, but 
Twinkle Toes only said, 

“Go oft to bed with a skip and a run, 
With the travelling hag, our story’s 
begun.” 

The Three Little Kittens called, “Good 
night Ma, good night Twinkle Toes,” and 
they went merrily off to bed. 

Twinkle Toes slept in Old Uncle 
Mouser’s red plush-lined basket by the 
fire. 

Next morning the Three Little Kittens 
hegged to go with Twinkle Toes on a 
journey. 

Mother Kit-Cat said, 


( 12 ) 




SHIS MAGIC MUTENSC? 


rr 


“Dear Little Kittens you are so funny. 
You may go—for the day is sunny”. 

Twinkle Toes waltzed around trying to 
catch his tail and the little bell, on the 
little blue ribbon, round his neck went 
tinkle, tinkle, tinkle! 

They all started off merrily, the Three 
Little Kittens singing, 

“We’re Three Little Kittens, 

We’ve no need of mittens.” 

“Don’t he so sure of that,” whistled the 
Wind, and before they got home it nipped 
their ears and paws, and blew their long 
whiskers! 

Then Dot and Tot said, 

“We were foolish Kittens 
To leave off our mittens.” 


( 13 ) 






HE GAVE EACH OF THE THREE LITTLE KITTENS A 

NEW TRAVELING BAG 

































































CHIP, CHIP, CHIP, COME INTO OUR TREE 



















































©TWINKLE TOES 



£T 


Brave Little Trot said, 

“Always put your best foot out, 

Don’t think of things to cry about.” 

Sure enough, they soon forgot that they 
were cold, they soon forgot that they had 
left their mittens at home. 

They were wondering whom they would 
visit, when they heard Three Little Curly- 
Tails cry, “Chip, chip, chip, come into 
our tree, come into our tree.” 

Dot and Tot and Trot made their best 
bow and said politely, 

t 

“We are Three Little Kittens 
Who once lost our mittens.” 

Twinkle Toes waltzed around and said, 

“I am a friend whom everyone knows, 
My name is Little Twinkle Toes.” 


( 16 ) 








feHIS MAGIC MTITENSQ' 



Old Mother Curly-Tail looked out from 
her hole in the hollow tree, and said, 

“I give you invitation, hearty, 

To step inside and join our party.” 

Even Twinkle Toes did not know how 
a hollow tree looked inside. 

They all scrambled into the tree and 
Mother Curly-Tail said, “Hurry, hurry, 
hurry.” 

They helped for one hour and sixteen 
minutes to store the Squirrels’ nuts away 
for the winter. 

Then, a surprise awaited them for 
Mother Curly-Tail said, 

“Sing some verses if you’re able, 

In will roll the chairs and table.” 

They sang a song, and in rolled a table 
and chairs for them all. 


( 17 ) 





©TWINKLE TOES 




They climbed up into the chairs and 
Mother Curly-Tail said, 

“Dishes will come if I don’t mistake it, 
And a politeness lesson, if you’ll take it.” 

In came the dishes, knives, forks, and 
spoons, and they all jumped to their prop¬ 
er places upon the table. 

In came a kettle of food, smoking hot. 

The Three Little Curly-Tails said, “Oh 
Ma, please help our plates first, we are so 
hungry.” 

Mother Curly-Tail said, 

“Visitors first, if you please, 

Be polite, and do not tease.” 

The Three Little Curly-Tails would not 
wait, they were so hungry. They put their 
paws in the kettle and burned them badly. 


( 18 ) 





THE THREE LITTLE CHAIRS IN WHICH THEY SAT 

TURNED ROUND 





























TWINKLE TOES 




“Oh,” and “Ah,” they wailed. 

The three little chairs in which they 
sat turned round and remained with their 
hacks to the table. 

Twinkle Toes and the Three Little Kit¬ 
tens began to eat the food put on their 
plates, saying “Thank you” and “If you 
,” politely. 

By and by the three chairs, in which 
the Three Little Curly-Tails sat, rolled hack 
into place, and they were given some sharp 
nuts to crack with their sharp little teeth, 
for by this time the food in the kettle 
was all gone. 

Dot wanted to tell the story of the lost 
mittens and began, “One day when we 
were sliding on the ice.” 

At that very moment Mother Curly-Tail 



( 20 ) 








jumped down from her chair, and whisp¬ 
ered in the ear of each little Curly-Tail. 

“Be polite to the Three Little Kittens, 
Bnt don’t let them talk any more of 
their mittens.” 


Tot wanted to tell about finding: the 


mittens, so she began, 


b 


“One day when we were sliding on 
the ice.” 

“Oh, oh,” cried the Curly-Tails, “Did 
you lose your rubbers? Did you lose your 
hoods? Did you lose your overshoes?” 

“No,” said Trot, “We lost-” 

At that very minute the Curly-Tails 
cried, “Come out and climb, come out and 
climb.” 

No sooner said than done, they all ran 


( 21 ) 








out of the hollow tree and jumped from 
branch to branch. 

One after another cried, 

“Come, follow me to the tallest tree, 
It is very exciting as you see.” 

By and by Twinkle Toes said, 

“Back to mother everyone goes, 
When twilight comes, says Twinkle 
Toes.” 

They all took up their little travelling 
bags and started to run home through the 
woods. 

All at once they stopped still. 

They said, “We forgot to say good bve, 
we forgot our manners.” 

Right about face, they all marched back 
to the hollow tree and shouted. 







“To be polite, we all will try, 

Dear Little Curly-Tails, good bye.” 

The little Curly-Tails answered, 

“Come again to have a play, 

Call on us another day.” 

Old Mother Kit-Cat stood in the door¬ 
way looking for them. 

She said, 

“Dear Little Kittens, 

You should wear your mittens.” 

Sure enough, tlieir paws were cold as 
cold could he. 

Late that night Dot, and Tot, and Trot, 
woke up and said, “We wonder why the 
Curly-Tails did not want us to talk about 
our mittens?” 




{?'TWINKLE TOES 




Twinkle Toes called out sleepily from 
Old Uncle Mouser’s red plush-lined basket, 

“Little Curly-Tails once wore the 
mittens 

Lost long ago, by Three Little Kit¬ 
tens.” 

I don’t know whether he knew what he 
was talking about or whether he was talk¬ 
ing in his sleep. 

He lay all curled up in the red, plush- 
lined basket. 

He was dreaming about a pair of Magic 
Mittens that would always fit and never 
wear out. 

He said, “When will I get my Magic 
Mittens?” 


( 24 ) 





CHAPTER II. 


EARNING MONEY 

' I 1 WINKLE Toes woke up early next 
morning, and skipped about with his 
travelling bag, singing, 

“With travelling hag away he goes, 
So sings your little Twinkle Toes.” 

“Let me go too, let me go too,” cried 
the Three Little Kittens in one breath. 

They all had their little travelling bags 
with them and they shouted, 

“To Squirrel Town away we go, 
Three Little Kittens, ha, ha, ho, ho.” 

As it happened, they did not go to 
Squirrel Town that day, nor the next, nor 



TWINKLE TOES WAS DREAMING ABOUT A PAIR OF 

MAGIC MITTENS 


























































the next, for Old Mother Kit-Cat said, 
“Dot, Tot, Trot, you must earn some 
money, so I can knit a pair of mittens 
for Twinkle Toes.” 

Old Mother Kit-Cat’s rocking chair 
went to and fro, to and fro, and all this 
time her needles went “click, click click.” 

Dot and Tot said, 


“Oh dear, oh dear, pray, what shall 
we do, 

Mother Kit-Cat, to earn money for 
you?” 

Brave Little Trot said, 


‘Til take my 


what 

Mother 

you. 


I’ll do, 
Kit-Cat, 


snow shovel, that’s 
to earn pennies for 


( 27 ) 





{?'TWINKLE TOESil 





“Hurrah, hurrah,” cried Dot and Tot, 
“we will all take our snow shovels and 
go to the woods and shovel paths for the 
animals!” 

Twinkle Toes waltzed round and 
round, and suddenly without warning, 
down came a little snow shovel, and he 
put it over his shoulder and marched 
merrily along. 

I don’t know whether it was a magic 

O 

snow shovel or not, but Twinkle Toes 
worked three times as fast clearing paths 
as the Three Little Kittens. 

“My furry tail, how cold it is!” said 
Dot. 

“My long whiskers, how the wind 

whistles,” said Tot. 

» 

Brave little Trot said, 


( 28 ) 





“If we will sing once in a while. 

It will shorten the longest mile.’’ 

Twinkle Toes waltzed round and round 
.v'liile the Three Little Kittens shouted at 
the top of their lungs in a singsong way, 

“We are Three Little Kittens 
Who once lost our mittens, 

We are Three Little Kittens 
Who frolic and play, 

We are Three Little Kittens 
Who once found our mittens, 

We are Three Little Kittens, 

So cunning and gay.” 

At this very minute, an astonishing 
thing happened! 

A great dee]) growly voice cried, 


( 20 ) 






TWINKLE TOES WORKED THREE TIMES AS FAST 

CLEARING PATHS 


























ams MAGIC MITTENS 1 !? 




“Come shovel me out, you dear little 
Kittens 

I’ll give you pennies to buy wool for 
mittens.” 

were by old 

They were not a bit afraid. 

They all went to work with a will and 
shoveled a good path to the old Bear’s 
den. 

Then Curly-Bear reached out his paw 
and said, 

“When I heard Three Little Kittens 

sing, 

I thought it was almost time for 
spring.” 

He handed Trot six pennies and went 
back into his den for another nap. 



Curly-Bear s den. 





C TWINKLE TOES 




“I wish we could sleep all winter,” said 
Dot. Tot said, “I do miss my nice warm 
mittens, why do I always forget to put 
them ou?” 

“Overshoes too, overshoes too,” laughed 
the wind as he whistled hy. 

They had all done enough shovelling of 
snow that day, but next day they went to 
the Ground Hog’s hole and he cried 
sleepily, 

“Come shovel me out, you dear little 
Kittens, 

I’ll give you pennies to buy wool for 
mittens.” 

They began to shovel with right good 
will and all the while Old Shadow, the 
Ground Hog was scolding about sunshine 
and shadow. 










He said lie could never tell whether 
or not lie would east his shadow until he 
came out of his hole. 

By and by he peeped out and gave 
Trot the pennies, then he went back into 
his hole for another nap. 

Twinkle Toes waltzed round and round, 
and the Three Little Kittens went on 
until they heard a voice cry:— 

“Come shovel me out you dear little 
Kittens, 

I’ll give you pennies to buy wool for 
mittens.” 

They went to the Beaver’s house built 
by the pond and worked away, and will 
you believe it, the Beaver said all the 
time, “Work like a Beaver, work like a 


( 33 ) 






H TWINKLE TOES 



£T 


Beaver.” Some day we may tell you liow 
we build our homes, but don’t come too 
near, for we are very shy.” 

The Beaver tossed six pennies out of 
his window and called “Good bye” as the 
Three Little Kittens trudged merrily down 
the road. 

“My shovel gets heavier every minute” 
said Dot. 

“I cannot walk another step, I am most 
frozen,” said Tot. 

Brave Little Trot said, “We will keep 
on a few steps more and maybe we will 
meet some of our friends, or cousins, or 
uncles, or aunts.” 

Twinkle Toes waltzed round and round. 

Just then, was heard the “Jingle, jingle, 


( 34 ) 









HfflS MAGIC MiriENSQ> 



jingle,” of sleighbells. Some one was com¬ 
ing in a sleigh. 

The Three Little Kittens stood in the 
road waving their snow shovels, and they 
blocked the path. 

The sleigh came nearer, and nearer, 
every minute. 

When Twinkle Toes saw who was in 
the sleigh he set up a shout, “It is Old 
LJucle Mouser, stop him, stop him.” 

Uncle Mouser was pleased to see his 
old friends you may be sure and he said, 

“Creep under my fur robe, as still as 
a mouse, 

Then home we will ride to your own 
little house.” 

No sooner said than done, they all 


( 35 ) 





£ TWINKLE TOES 



IT 


scrambled under the warm fur robe and 
rode away, away, away, to the borne of 
the Three Little Kittens. 

When they arrived Old Mother Kit-Cat 
stood in the door-way looking for them. 

She was delighted to see Uncle Mouser 
again and he said he would stay, if he 
could sleep in his red plush-lined basket. 

Such a shaking of snow as there was 
from fur and whiskers, and Trot gave Old 
Mother Kit-Cat the pennies they had 
earned. 

When they were all ready to go to sleep 
Dot said, “We forgot to ask Curly-Bear if 
he had ever seen our mittens.” 

Tot said, “We forgot to ask Old Shadow 
if he had seen our mittens, that time they 
were lost so long.” 


( 36 ) 





Trot said, “Perhaps Billy Beaver could 
have told us something about them.” 

Old Mother Kit-Cat said, 

“Hush, be still, ’tis time to sleep, 
Three Little Kittens, quiet keep.” 

Twinkle Toes and Old Mouser were al¬ 
ready asleep. 

They lay side by side in the red plush- 
lined basket. 

Old Mother Kit-Cat bad already started 
a pair of mittens for Twinkle Toes, but she 
needed varn to finish them. 

j 

She said, “I will send the Three Little 
Kittens for yarn tomorrow.” 

She was not at all sleepy, so she thought 
she would finish one of the mittens she 
had started. 





H TWINKLE TOES 




She took up her needles, and to her 
surprise, they went to and fro, to and fro, 
in her paws and in less than a twinkling 
of an eye, one mitten was finished. 

“By my furry tail,” said Mother Kit- 
Cat, that must he a magic mitten after all. 
“Perhaps this is one of the magic mittens 
Twinkle Toes has been talking about.” 

Then, to her surprise the finished mit¬ 
ten began to sing, 

“When you do good deeds for others, 
Fathers, sisters, cousins, mothers, 

Even helpful things for kittens, 

You may wear some magic mittens.” 

Old Mother Kit-Cat was not sure 
whether she was asleep or dreaming, for 
all the rest of the family had gone to 
dreamland . 




CHAPTER III. 


UNCLE MOUSER’S STORY 


r I ''HE next day passed very quickly, for 
the Three Little Kittens went to town 
to huy yarn for mittens for Twinkle Toes. 

When evening came, they all sat round 
the fire and the Three Little Kittens 
danced up and down before Uncle Mouser, 
and Twinkle Toes danced round and round. 

They all said, “Please tell us a story.” 

Uncle Mouser answered, 

“I will tell you a story in prose and 
rhyme. 

For I make up stories just half my 
time.” 

The Th ree Little Kittens danced up and 


( 39 ) 


& TWINKLE TOES 




down and cried, “Tell ns a true story, tell 
us something that really, truly happened.” 

Uncle Mouser rocked to and fro, to 
and fro, in the little rocking chair and 
said, 


“I would not like to see you in tears, 
So I’ll think back for several years.” 

“Oh Uncle Mouser, oh Uncle Mouser” 
(ried the Three Little Kittens “we cannot 
wait years and years for a story.” 

Twinkle Toes waltzed round and round. 

Old Mother Kit-Cat’s needles went 
“click, click, click.” 

By and by Old Uncle Mouser said, “By 
my whiskers, I do know one true story 
about a little kitten, who liked to wash 
dishes, and do kitchen work.” 


( 40 ) 







S MAGIC MITTENSO> 


ST 


Old Mother Kit-Cat stopped knitting 
suddenly, and leaned forward and her eyes 
grew as big as saucers. 

She said, “Did you say, liked to wash 
dishes and do kitchen work?’* 

Old Uncle Mouser answered, “I will tell 
yon the story as it was told me by my 
old Aunt Tabby,” Then he began. 

Once upon a time the Old Man of the 
Fire said to the King, “I wonder if any 
kitten in the world likes to wash dishes 
and do kitchen work?” 

The King said, it could not be possi¬ 
ble that any kitten liked to do these 
things, so the Little Old Man of the Fire 
said, “I travel everywhere over hill and 
dale, and wherever a fire is, there am 1. 
What will you give me if I find a kitten 
who likes to do kitchen work?” 

( 41 ) 






ilWMWrtW 


QOOtf 


/ //// ///// ////,/// 


o o 0 0 o^> 


ONCE UPON A TIME THE OLD MAN OF THE FIRE 

SAID TO THE KING 







































































































































The King replied, “I will give you a 
thousand miles of sun to burn morn inn; 

O 

and evening.” 

Tlie Little Old Man of the Fire ran 
over hill and dale singing, 

“I am the Little Old Man of the Fire, 
Ha, ha, I am happy, I never tire.” 

My! what a long search he had. 

He found plenty of kittens who hated 
to do kitchen work, and he was afraid they 
all hated to wash dishes. 

He was about to give up the search, 
when one night he saw a light on a far 
hill, twinkle, twinkle. 

He followed the light and soon came 
to a little wee house on the hill. 

A little Kitten was singing, 


( 43 ) 





©TWINKLE TOES 






“Pile the dishes up higher, higher, 
Bring in the wood and make more 
fire, 

Of kitchen work I never tire, 

Pile the dishes up higher, higher ” 

Dishes were piled up to the ceiling. 

The Little Old Man of the Fire was 
so happy, he danced with glee. 

The Little Old Man of the Fire rapped 
on the door and the kitten called, “Come 

• 99 

m. 

The Little Old Man stepped inside, and 
for the first time in four and twenty hours, 
the little Kitten stopped work. 

Her gingham apron changed to an 
apron of gold. 

Her white cap changed to a goJd crown. 
She became a real Princess. 

(' 44 '! 







She had been under a spell until the 
Little Old Man of the Fire came in. 

They joined hands and ran merrily 
over hill and dale singing all the way. 

When the King saw the Princess he 
ordered a great wedding, and made her 
Queen, and he gave the Little Old Man of 
the Fire miles and miles of sky to burn 
every night. 

One day, long after that, the King 
asked the Queen “How did you happen 
to like to work?” and she answered, “I 
said to myself, 

“I try to like the work I do. 

Some day my wishes will come true.” 

The King said, 

“If we try to like our work, 

Then I’m sure we’ll never shirk.” 


( 45 ) 





©TWINKLE TOES 


£T 




The King and Queen looked out at the 
evening sky, and they knew the Little Old 
Man of the Fire was at work, for they saw 
a very beautiful sunset. 

The story was ended. 

Uncle Mouser rocked to and fro. 

Old Mother Kit-Cat said, as her needles 

flew to and fro, “That does not sound like 
a true story to me, it sounds to my old 
ears like a Fairy Tale/' 

Uncle Mouser replied, “I can only tell 
the story as Aunt Tabby told it to me.” 

If you guessed yesterday, and to-day, 
and to-morrow, you could not guess what 
happened next. 

The Three Little Kittens slipped out of 
their three little rocking-chairs and went 
“pit-a-pat,” into the kitchen. 


( 46 ) 





PUT THE DISHES IN NEAT PILES UPON THE TABLE 








































































































































CTWINKLE TOES® 




Twinkle Toes followed them waltzing 
every step of the way. 

They began to wash dishes. 

Splash, splash, went the water. 

Clatter, clatter went the supper dishes 

as Twinkle Toes put them in neat piles 
on the table. 

The Three Little Kittens sang as they 
worked, 

“We like the suds and water sweet, 
To wash the dishes is a treat.” 

Once more Old Mother Kit-Cat’s eyes 
grew as big as saucers, and she said in a 
whisper. “I guess that was a true story 
after all.” 


( 48 ) 





CHAPTER IV. 


VISIT TO OLD SHADOW 

N GROUND-HOG day in February, 
^ Dot cried, “Oh, Ma, may we go to 
visit Old Shadow, the Ground-Hog?” 

Tot cried, “Oh, Ma, may we go out 
with our little travelling bags?” 

Trot stood first on one foot, then on 
the other, and said, “Ma cannot hear her¬ 
self think if we all talk at once.” 

Twinkle Toes said, “I think we can all 
take our travelling bags.” 

Mother Kit-Cat looked severely at the 

Three Little Kittens and said, “You may 

•> 

go, if you will only remember to wear 
your mittens.” 


( 49 ) 





IT GREW DARKER AND DARKER IN OLD 
SHADOW’S BURROW 















































SHIS MAGIC MriTBJS ,> 




“Mittens, mittens, I will wear my magic 
mitten,” said Twinkle Toes. 

By this time Mother Kit-Cat had fin¬ 
ished the mittens for Twinkle Toes. 

He put on his mittens and the Three 
Little Kittens all put on theirs, and fol¬ 
lowed Twinkle Toes with a hop and a skip 
and a hound. 

It was a cold day in February, and the 
wind was blowing. 

Suddenly Dot, and Tot and Trot cried, 
“We are tired, we wish we were at our 
journey’s end.” 

Twinkle Toes rubbed his mittens to¬ 
gether and said, “I wish we were at Old 
Shadow’s hole.” 

Then the funniest thing happened. 

In the twinkling of an eye, they were 





■G TWINKLE TOES 




at Old Shadow’s hole, and there he was, 
busily digging. 

He said, 

“Three Little Kittens I’m glad you 

came, 

But old Woodchuck is my real name. 

Now if “Old Shadow” you like better. 

Call me that to the very letter.” 

Just then he caught sight of Twinkle 
Toes and said, 

“Here is a friend that everyone knows, 

Our dear little, queer little Twinkle 
Toes.” 

The Three Little Kittens made a how 
and said, 

“Old Shadow, answer the Three Little 
Kittens, 




T1 



S MAGIC MTTTENS& 


JT 


Did you ever wear our three pairs of 
mittens?” 

At that, the strangest thing happened, 

Old Shadow ran into his hole calling, 

“You speak of mittens, you scare me 

SO, 

I do not know which way to go.” 

The Kittens all ran after him. 

The hole was funnel-shaped, and the 
passage-way grew smaller, and smaller, and 
smaller, and wound in and out. 

By and by they saw Old Shadow at the 
far end, and he called, 


“Come inside, and take your ease, 
But don’t disturb my digging, please.” 

By and by he stopped digging, and said, 
Ha, ha, ha, let us measure whiskers.” 


U 


( 53 ) 





©TWINKLE TOES 




He had very long whiskers and was 
proud of them. 

Come, help me dig, for we may then 
find some clover roots, How I do like 
clover roots!” 

Twinkle Toes waltzed round and round 
and then began to dig with a will, to 
please Old Shadow. 

Dot soon said, “I must stop, for my 
paws are tired.” 

Tot said, “Oh dear, my paws were not 
made for digging.” 

Trot said, 

“We are Three Little Kittens, 

“Who once lost our mittens.” 

At the mention of the word, “mittens,” 
the most remarkable thing happened. 


( 54 ) 





ALL THE ANIMALS WERE MARCHING, RIGHT FOOT, 

LEFT FOOT 




















Old Shadow took out his watch and 
cried, “It is quarter to spring, it is quar¬ 
ter to spring. I must hurry, hurry, hurry 
or I will he too late to meet Lady Spring.” 

Whisk! bound! He was out of his bur¬ 
row before you could wink an eye lash! 

It was dark in the strange burrow, and 
Twinkle Toes and the Three Little Kittens 
ran this way, and that way, trying to find 
the way out. 

The burrow had several rooms and they 
kept losing themselves every few minutes. 

They could always hear the tinkle, 
tinkle, tinkle of the little hell that hung 
from Twinkle Toes’ neck. 

Dot and Tot began to cry, but brave 
little Trot said, 







“Cheer up, kittens do not cry. 



It grew darker and darker in Old 
Shadow’s burrow, and I don’t know what 
in the world they would have done, if 
Twinkle Toes had not thought of his Magic 
Mittens. 

He thought of his mittens, and rubbed 
them gently saying, “I wish the Little Old 
Man of the Fire would appear.” 

No sooner said, than done. 

The Little Old Man of the Fire appear¬ 
ed in his green cap and jacket of yellow. 

His jacket shone with light and he 

sang, 


“Ha, ha, ha, I can’t help but sing, 

It is planting time, and almost spring.” 





0 " 




©TWINKLE JOES § 



“Not in February,” said Dot. 

“Not in February,” said Tot. 

Brave little Trot said, 

“Don’t be alarmed Sir, we’re only 
kittens, 

Who once on a time lost all our mit¬ 
tens.” 

Twinkle Toes said never a word, but 
bis little bell went, “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” 
every step be took. 

The Little Old Man of the Fire said, 
“I came upon you so suddenly, you almost 
scared me out of a year’s growth. 

I see Twinkle Toes, and Three Little 
Kittens, big as life and half as natural. 
Ho, ho, so you do not think it is time for 
spring? Look above you, see the roots 
growing.” 







Dot said, “Please show us the way out.” 

Tot said, “We are afraid of the dark, 
lead the way out.” 

Brave Little Trot said, “We will do a 
kindness for you, kind Sir, if you will 
light us home.” 

Twinkle Toes waltzed round and round. 

The Little Old Man of the Fire was 
full of mischief and he said 

“Once or twice most every year, 

I naturally just disappear, 

Your eyes as hig as saucers, I see, 
“They are light enough for you and 
me.” 

Without another word the Little Old 
Man of the Fire disappeared. 

Dot and Tot began to cry softly into 


( 59 ) 







their little pocket handkerchiefs and even 
Trot got his little pocket handkerchief out, 
hut Twinkle Toes waltzed round and 
round. 

Twinkle Toes said, 

“A misfortune is often what we make 
it, 

Hark! to footsteps, I don’t mistake it.” 

Then he ruhbed his Magic Mittens and 
wished for Uncle Mouser. 

They all listened. 

For steps were coming nearer, and nearer 
every minute 

Uncle Mouser appeared at the opening 
of the burrow with the Little Old Man of 
the Fire, whom he had caught, and now 
carried inside a lantern! 


( 60 ) 




Uncle Mouser shouted, 

“Have you seen three Kittens 
Who once lost their mittens? 

I’m looking also for Twinkle Toes, 
There’s a hell that tinkles wherever 
he goes.” 

They all shouted, “Hurrah Uncle Mouser, 
here we are, here we are!” 

They lost no time getting out of Old 
Shadow’s burrow you may he sure, and 
the Little Old Man of the Fire hopped 
merrily about in the lantern singing, 

“It is fun away to roam 

But there is no place like home!” 

Uncle Mouser said, “It is not safe to 
go into deep burrows. Let me count, are 
you all here?” 


( 61 ) 






THEY WERE MAKING A FLAG 















































































■■■ m 



THEY DREAMED THEY WERE SAILING AWAY 

























XL 


{?■TWINKLE'TOES @ 



Twinkle Toes and the Three Little 
Kittens were so pleased to see Uncle 
Mouser, they hugged and kissed him so 
hard, and jumped about so much, he could 
not count them to save his life. 

He kept saying anxiously, “I hope 1 
have you all here, two, three, or four.” 

Old Mother Kit-Cat stood in the door¬ 
way looking for them and she said, “Oh 
Uncle Mouser, your red plush-lined basket 
is waiting for vou. 

She hugged and kissed Twinkle Toes, 
and the Three Little Kittens and gave 
them some milk, and put them to bed. 

They talked a good deal in their sleep 
that night and Twinkle Toes said, 

“With travelling bags now we have 
found, 


( 64 ) 









Tis safe to journey underground, 

But very happy are the kittens, 
Because I wore my Magic Mittens!” 

The Magic Mittens were very busy that 
night, they dusted everything in Twinkle 
Toes’ room. They said in a sing-song kind 
of way. 

“You may know some things about 
Three Kittens, 

But you know very little of Magic 
Mittens.” 

I wonder what the Magic Mittens 
meant, don’t you? 


( 65 ) 





CHAPTER V. 


NAMING THE FLAG 


T TNCLE Mouser and Twinkle Toes went 
^ home next day, and the Three Little 
Kittens, called “Good bye, good bye, good 
bye, come again soon to visit us.” 

“Clip, clip, clip,” went Old Uncle Mous- 
er’s cane as he went down the path. 

He called hack, “I will come again, if 
I may sleep in my red plush-lined basket.” 

Twinkle Toes went off waving his Magic 
Mittens and he waltzed round and round. 

Old Mother Kit-Cat put on her sun- 
bonnet and took her market basket and 
went to town. 

The Three Little Kittens wanted to go 


(66) 



out sliding on the ice, but Mother Kit-Cat 
had told them they must keep house while 
she was gone. 

It was very quiet ir* the house with 
company gone. 

It was very lonesome with Mother Kit- 
Cat away. 

They missed Twinkle Toes and said. 
“How we do wish Twinkle Toes would 
come back.” . 

The Little Old Man of the Fire sug¬ 
gested, 

“Three Little Kittens I think you’d 
better 

Sit right down and compose a letter. 

Ask him to come hack, wherever he 
goes, 

Your queer little, dear little, Twinkle 
Toes.” 


( 67 ) 






T, ctwinkletdesw „ 


The Three Little Kittens did not know 
much about letter writing, but they thought 
they would write a letter to Twinkle Toes 
and drop it in the first mail that went 
out. 

They were going to ask him to come 
back and visit them. 

The Three Little Kittens drew their 
three little stools up to the table, and 
they got out pen, paper and ink. 

“Dot cried, “Oh, oh, oh, my pretty 
white fur.” 

Tot cried, “I am drowning in ink.” 

Trot cried, “Help, help.” 

Now what do you suppose had happen¬ 
ed? 

They had upset the bottle of ink and it 
had splashed over their fur and whiskers. 


( 68 ) 





The Little Old Man of the Fire cried, 

“Get a tub and rub-a-dub, 

Get one this minute and put kittens 
in it.” 

The Three Little Kittens were not fond 
of a bath, but they got water and filled 
the tub and jumped in. 

Such a rubbing and scrubbing you 
never saw. 

Soon they were out and drying by the 
fire. 

They sat down to start their letter over 
again when the Little Old Man of the Fire 
cried, 

“For shame, you left a dirty tub. 

Go clean it now, go rub and scrub.” 

They got cloths and tumbled into the 


( 69 ) 







TWINKLE TOES 



£7 


tub, head-first and began to rub and scrub, 
until they had it clean. 

They were so tired that Dot and Tot 
sat down then by the table, and began to 
cry until they had cried a little stream of 
water, but Trot said, “Will you cry a bowl 
full? Will you cry a tub full? 

The Little Old Man of the Fire sput¬ 
tered again and said,. 


“Tis pleasanter anyway, I think, 

To write with pencil instead of ink!” 


At that very minute three little pencils 
sailed right down into the paws of the 
Three Little Kittens. 

They did not write that letter that day. 

They did not write that letter the next 

* 



( 70 ) 





They did not write that letter at all, 
for “rap a tap,” sounded on the door, and 
Twinkle Toes and Uncle Mouser appeared. 
Old Mother Kit-Cat right behind them.” 
They said. 


“Don't say you feel afraid, 

Come out and join the big parade. 


99 


Sure enough, there was a big parade, 
and all the animals were marching, right 
foot, left foot.” 

The Three Little Kittens lost no time 
joining them, you may be sure. 

Because many of the animals had flags, 
they cried, “Oh we wish we had a flag 
too.” 

Twinkle Toes did not think of his 
Magic Mittens that minute, they were all 
so excited. 


( 71 ) 





<£?-TWINKLETDES 




They marched a mile through the 
woods and back again, and went with a 
hop, and a skip, and a bound, back to 
their little wee house at the edge of the 
woods. 

To their surprise they found Old Mother 
Kit-Cat had gotten back ahead of them, 
and there she sat rocking to and fro cry¬ 
ing, “Oh dear, oh dear.” 

“Get the doctor,” shouted.Uncle Mouser. 

Twinkle Toes said, “Get the camphor.” 

Old Mother Kit-Cat rocked to and fro, 
crying, “Oh me, oh my.” 

Dot and Tot said, “What is the matter, 

Ma.” 

Trot said, “I believe she wanted to 
march beneath her own flag of red, white 
and blue,” 


( 72 ) 




e Q. 



IS MAGIC MTTTENSQ' 


£7 


Old Mother Kit-Cat said, 

“We’re too poor to buy a banner tis 
true, 

We have no banner of red, white and 
blue.” 

At that very minute Twinkle Toes 
thought of his Magic Mittens, and he 
wished that every one of their little travel¬ 
ling bags might be full of red, white, and 
blue bunting. 

“Snip-snap,” they unclasped their little 
travelling bags. 

Out rolled yards ana yards of bunting. 

The bunting was red, white and blue. 

Uncle Mouser sakl, “Thirteen stripes 
and fourty-eight stars.” 

They begged him to tell a story about 


( 73 ) 






V TWINKLE TOES 




the flag, but he only said again, adding a 
line to make a real verse, 


“Thirteen stripes and forty-eight stars. 
Come, make this glorious flag of 
ours.” 


In less time than it takes to tell it, 
Old Uncle Mouser and Mother Kit-Cat, and 
Twinkle Toes, were measuring the hunting 
to make a great big flag. 

The Three Little Kittens got scissors 
that went “snip, snip, snip.” 


Now what do you suppose they were 
doing? 

They were making a flag of red, white, 
and blue. 


They were making a flag to wave out¬ 
side the door. 


( 74 ) 






TL 



S MAGIC MITTENS^ 



The Little Old Man of the Fire was so 
happy he kept singing patriotic verses over 
and over, 

“Hurrah for the flag and our country 
too, 

Hurrah for the flag red, white, and 
blue.” 

They cut out white stars and sewed 
them to the field of blue. 

The Little Old Man of the Fire said, 

“We’re true to the colors, the flag is 
ours, 

With thirteen stripes and forty-eight 
stars.” 

When the flag was finished the Three 
Little Kittens begged to take it out and 
Mother Kit-Cat said, 


( 75 ) 






C TWINKLE TOES 






“I must say “yes,” for you’ll beg any 
way, 

To carry this flag for a year and a 
day.” 

Twinkle Toes marched ahead of the 
Three Little Kittens and they took turns 
carrying the flag. 

All the animals bowed to them as they 

J 

passed, and saluted the flag. 

When they got home again Old Mouser 
told them stories about the flag as Twinkle 
Toes waved it to and fro. 

They all sang a little song that you can 
sing to the tune of “Lightly Row.” 

“Bring the flag, bring the flag, 

Wave it ever high above. 

Bring the flag, bring the flag. 

Flag that we all love, 


( 76 ) 






Bonnie red, and white and blue, 

To the colors we are true, 

Bring the flag, bring the flag, 

Wave it high above.” 

When night came, the Three Little 
Kittens dreamed that they were sailing 
away in a sailboat with Uncle Mouser and 
Twinkle Toes, and that the sailboat had a 
sail like our flag red, white, and blue. 

They thought that Mother Kit-Cat stood 
in the doorway to bid them good bye, and 
that Uncle Mouser said he would come 
again if his red plush-lined basket was 
waiting for him. 

If you close your eyes you may join 
them too and sail away, away, away. 

You may even hear the bell that 
Twinkle Toes wears “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.” 

( 77 ) 


) l 
) > 
> ) > 







©TWINKLE TOES 



£7 


I can hear the little bell sing, 

“Who goes to the home of the Three 
Little Kittens? 

Twinkle Toes with his new Magic 
Mittens. 

J 

Who has kind friends as everyone 
knows? 

Our dear little, queer little, Twinkle 

Toes.” 




































































































































































































































































































































































































